The liver samples in the study showed that administration of the Ashoka tree bark extract could normalise the inflammation and necrotic changes in the liver.
The liver samples in the study showed that administration of the Ashoka tree bark extract could normalise the inflammation and necrotic changes in the liver.
What is the connection between snakes and liver protection in humans? Or rather, snake bites and liver protection? It has been known for sometime that medicinal plants that are traditionally used against snake bites are also effective in protecting the liver.
The scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden at Palode, near here, took cue from this well-known fact when they decided to investigate the liver-protective effect of the bark of the tree commonly known as ‘Ashokam’ in Malayalam and Saraca asoca scientifically.
The word ‘Ashoka’ itself meaning without sorrow, referring to the immense medicinal property of the tree.
The scientific team comprising Shoumya S, Latha P G, Suja S R and Rajasekharan S has found that the extract of the bark was highly effective in protecting liver as well as healing damaged liver. The scientists have also reported its antioxidant potential.
The studies were all done on rats, Wistar rats, in which liver damage was induced. One group was maintained as control, while others were given different doses of the extract of the bark. At the end of the duration of the experiments, the animals were sacrificed and their blood and liver samples were collected for antioxidant tests and histopathological analysis.
It was found that the treatment with the Ashoka bark extract caused a significant reduction of several parameters such as the serum aspartate amino transferase (SGOT), serum alanine amino transferase (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SAKP) and serum bilirubin (SB).
For all the four biochemical parameters studied, the maximum protection was observed at 200 mg/kg dose of Saraca asoca compared to the other two doses studied. This reduction in biochemical parameters has been found to be almost comparable to that of Silymarin at 100 mg/ kg.
The liver samples in the study, the results of which were presented at the National Seminar on Medicinal Plants last month, also showed that administration of the Ashoka tree bark extract could normalise the inflammation and necrotic changes in the liver. Even the hepatic architecture showed an almost normal presentation.
“The present study reveals the potentially hepatoprotective nature of the tree stem bark, but it also calls for further detailed research and evaluation on the active constituents and the mechanism of action. As of now, the exact mechanism of how this protects the liver is unknown,” said P G Latha, a member of the study as well as director-in-charge of the institute. Although all parts of the Ashoka tree are reportedly medicinal, it has been found to have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxytocic properties, among many others.
At the Amala Cancer Research Centre, Thrissur, the stem bark extract was found to modulate the toxicity induced by anti-cancer drugs. It also reduced the side-effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, including liver necrosis.